Book or movie?

When you read a novel and later watch a movie based on the book, the book is almost always better, in my opinion. Can you think of a case when the movie was actually better than the book? I can: The Horse Whisperer. How 'bout you?

I want to say The Road but I'm not sure...awesome book, absolutely amazing but the film gave it that extra emotional lift- the book does bring out emotions but seeing films are visual, it really did it for me.

You are absoloutely right - I had only just read the original "Jaws" book a few weeks ago and made the comment to my husband that the movie left the book for dead. The book itself it really just a C-grade effort: it is only in the authors' narrative of the shark that it is redeemable in any way.

Ooo good question! Books are pretty much always better than the films because they go into so much more detail and leave everything to your imagination. For example, if the book's describing a really good looking guy (like in "Twilight", if any of you read the books), you can imagine him just the way you like haha but with a film the actor is right there in front of you and some may like it and others not.But...films take much less time (a few hours as opposed to a few days or weeks) and much less brain power...All in all, I would say books are so much better. Like "Ps, I Love you". The book made me cry, but the film totally disappointed me! I'm actually failing to think of a film that's better than the book...hmmm... :S

That is hard! The book is pretty much always better! One exception that comes to mind though: I liked the movie "Christmas with the Kranks" a lot better than the book "Skipping Christmas". I don't know...I watched the movie first and laughed so hard. But the book was still good.

Michael Mann's Last of the Mohicans was so graphic in its presentation and the acting all around especially Daniel Day-Lewis' was so thorough that Cooper's writing, though damn good, paled somewhat in comparison

I'm not sure if I would call it better, but, "The Lost World" book was certainly different than what was in the film. This was the sequal to "Jurrasic Park." which was also slightly different than the book.

The only part of the movie that was like "The Lost World" book, was the first part where the little girl gets attacked by comps on the beach on a family cruise. The rest of the movie doesn't follow the book at all, as there are only a handful of people on the island, trying to find dinosaur eggs. This whole army of men trying to capture dinosaurs was not in the book.

I also read Hollywood Wives, and the Master Of The Game. I couldn't tell you how much the movies resembled the books, but, they were both equally entertaining. But, it has been many years since I read them. I started to read "The Thorn Birds."But, got bored with it pretty quick. The show was better.

The problem is that a lot of movies based on books are not necessarily faithful adaptations, but they are good movies in their own right. The movie version of "Where the Wild Things Are" may be too serious, even off-putting, to those who adored the book. But as someone who liked but didn't particularly love the book as a child and was able to fully appreciate the film version as an adult, I was blown away by the movie. If it doesn't get any Oscar nominations, I will be genuinely upset.

Stardust is another good example. It's more of a romantic comedy than the book was, but it's still a good movie.

I totally disagree about Dracula, though. I was literally up all night reading the last part of it because it was so suspenseful. No film versions have captured the complexity of the novel, probably because it's so long, but at least Guy Maddin's version comes close.

Well, reaching back a bit, but I love "Taming of the Shrew" with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. As well as a few other Shakespear movies. The interpretation of Elizabethan language really comes alive. On paper, it's just vague to me. I guess I need to study Elizabethan or something. But I'd rather study pig-latin....

Most adaptations of his books turn out really boring and completely miss the point of the whole story, but this one was actually better than what I imagined when I was reading the book. Maybe because some of the main parts of the story were changed; tobacco company to firearms manufacturer and all that. Made the whole thing a lot more plausible.

I think that the movie "The Princess Bride" was miles better than the book. Also I would have to say Stardust.

Also, I would have to agree that Shakespeare is better understood and enjoyed when it is performed, either on film, in an audio drama or on stage. I have read all of Shakespeare's works but enjoy him best when I see good actors performing his plays.

Apocalypse Now - much better in movie format. Coppola actually moved the setting and made a stunning movie that was different but more amazing than anything I had previously seen. HOD was excellent mind you but...

(This was also the movie that taught me the power of the "big screen". I almost couldn't watch parts of it for the realism on the big screen, yet when viewed on regular TV it was not nearly as chilling.)

Have yet to come across a movie that's as good or better than the book.

If Iv'e read the book - I almost never go see the movie. Always dissapointed. Cannot figure out why they change parts of the story or even the ending when making it into a movie. totally unecessary. Don't people want to go see the movie because the book was so good? Shouldn't they keep the movie true to the written word?

Can't do it Pddm. Real life has its limitations. The best actress for the part may be dark haired when the book strictly says blonde. Best possible shoots may not be possible in the depths of Antartica when Canada will do, and so on. Each person takes the book and creates the picture in their own mind. No matter how strict a movie follows the book, it will never match your imagination.

Books are one medium of story telling and film is another. They are very different, and I find that there are good things about each one.

I love movie adaptions of books, but they do differ significantly from the original source material. It's a take on the book by a select group of people. Different movie adaptions of the same book will also differ, based upon the movie makers' style and idea of how to interpret the original story.

I understand but I just wish that once someone, anyone, would make a movie that's true (at least 99%) to the book it's based on. Would be something new to see out there. Just wondering WHY it hasn't been done (maybe it has but I don't recall one)

I think more often than not the book is better than the film, as you can create your own pictures in your head, the way the character looks and the settings. Sometimes when I read a book and then watch the film it ruins what I had created in my head e.g. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, I loved the book but the film was no where near as good.

The books are always better because otherwise there would be no movie. Once the movie comes out it ruins all growth for imagination. You can no longer picture how it would, could or should have been as the screen writer took that privilege away from you. However I am NOT saying that all books turned into movies are bad. I’m just saying that it's nice to have the chance to envision things yourself.

The Wizard of Oz - probably like most people, I had seen the movie many a time and become fond of Oz and the characters. The book is startlingly dreary and very dark in comparison. If I had have read the book first, I don't believe I would be such a fan of TWOO: the movie is visually stunning and leaves a message of hope. The book - not so much.

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